Tturn signals not flashing at highway speeds

So the past 2 days I've noticed that if I'm changing lanes on the highway, my (stock front and rear) turn signals haven't been working consistently. I haven't had any problems with them at stop signs or backroad speeds.

This morning as I was coming to work, I put my right blinker on about 1/4 mile before my exit ramp, going about 80 mph. it didn't start working until I decelerated to about 65 mph.

I've had the bike for about 3 weeks, and it's quite buzzy on the highway, mostly through handlebars and footpegs. I can feel the buzzing especially a lot on my thumb through the blinker switch. I am wondering if the switch isn't making good contact at high speeds due to all the vibration? Anyone else experience this?

Are the signal indicators lighting up on your speedo?

I would check to see what's happening with your voltages. Hook digital Volt meter to your battery and see what your voltages are at idle to maybe 5000-6000 RPM. You could have a bad regulator/rectifier (RR) and there may be over voltage. A friend recently had this problem and boiled his battery. If this looks good then I would suspect the flasher relay. When the flasher relay is at a lower voltage it's flashing and when at higher voltage (higher RPM) it's failing.

If you have a faired version FZ6 it will be low, in the left side of the fairing. It's on a little rubber mount.

A great replacment: Super Bright LEDs - Electronic LED Flashers Specifications LF1-S FLAT $8.95

You can also get them at Cycle Gear stores for about 20 bucks.

Please keep us up to date on this.

They're probably working fine. You can't see them as you approach 3x10^8 m/s.

Neither the indicators on the dash nor the signals themselves are flashing when it happens.

I check the battery voltage-
Off: 12.5 V
Idle: 12.7-13.1 V
6000 RPM: 13.9 V
12000 RPM: 13.9 V

I just went out for a quick highway test during lunch. It happens with both the turn signals and the hazards, so I dont think it's the switch itself. Tested it again coming off a long exit ramp. Wasn't working until decelerated to about 35-40, then once i got back up to about 50-60 it started flickering and cutting in and out.

Sounds like a loose connection somewhere

^^ +1

Grtz,



Degake

MattR302 said:

Neither the indicators on the dash nor the signals themselves are flashing when it happens.

I check the battery voltage-
Off: 12.5 V
Idle: 12.7-13.1 V
6000 RPM: 13.9 V
12000 RPM: 13.9 V

I just went out for a quick highway test during lunch. It happens with both the turn signals and the hazards, so I dont think it's the switch itself. Tested it again coming off a long exit ramp. Wasn't working until decelerated to about 35-40, then once i got back up to about 50-60 it started flickering and cutting in and out.

Click to expand...

Weird!
Sounds like a faulty flasher relay that doesn't like higher than the idle voltage. Still check you connectors especially at the flasher relay.

This seems to be repeatable at higher speeds so that's why I'm thinking higher voltage @ higher RPM and not a bad connection.

See if they work at idle then increase the RPM and see if they fail. Watch the voltage! If they're failing at higher RPM it is probably a voltage problem the the flasher has.

Motogiro said:

Weird!
Sounds like a faulty flasher relay that doesn't like higher than the idle voltage. SAtill check you connectors especially at the flasher relay.

This seems to be repeatable at higher speeds so that's why I'm thinking higher voltage @ higher RPM and not a bad connection.

See if they work at idle then increase the RPM and see if they fail. Watch the voltage! If they're failing at higher RPM it is probably a voltage problem the the flasher has.

Click to expand...

I know my flasher relay acts up sometimes but when it does my indicators on the speedo begin flashing crazy fast. So if the RR is acting up the indicators will not come on at all?

ChevyFazer said:

I know my flasher relay acts up sometimes but when it does my indicators on the speedo begin flashing crazy fast. So if the RR is acting up the indicators will not come on at all?

Click to expand...

What I'm thinking is the flasher relay is failing and when it's seeing above a certain voltage it doesn't want to flash for some reason. First I just wanted to make sure that whatever the voltage change was, it wasn't the fault of over voltage because it seemed he was at higher RPM and the flasher was failing.
Just had a friend with a Gxxer 600 who needed his battery replaced. It was under warranty from Cycle Gear and they said they suspected he had a charging problem. Most bike RRs shunt the stator current for normal regulation and they go to an open condition where there is no charge when they fail. In my friends case his RR failed and the shunt was open and the battery was getting full charge. When he brought it over for me to check I could smell the new battery was cooking! I couldn't touch the plastic casing!! I'll bet at some point his bike was jump started with someones car, engine running and the RR shunt blew open hence overcharging. The shunts on the bike RR cannot withstand the car's alternator and will fail.

So no I wasn't thinking that the flasher failed because of overvoltage but since it seemed to be at a higher voltage I just wanted to confirm it wasn't overvoltage as a first step then all other steps...

If you look at his last ride it repeats it. Higher speed = failure. It could be air pressure on something but I'm think it's a voltage coefficient on a failing flasher relay.

Edit: I'd like him to test it while the bike is sitting still and raising the RPM with the flasher on to see if it fails.

I see says the blind man!!!

Yeah that would be a sure fire test while it's sitting still.

On my way home from work today, it was working even less consistent. At low speeds and at idle and it was intermittent. I suppose I'll start by replacing the flasher relay and see what happens. Thanks guys.

Look for loose connections and do the static check of the flashers at the RPMs you tested the voltage at first before buying anything. If it's the stock flasher, it should be a relay. A relay doesn't care what the top voltage is. As long as the voltage is over the activation voltage, it works (well and it isn't so high as to burn out the inductor). Basically, it's an electromagnet that pulls a "reed" switch closed. Higher voltage will make the magnet stronger so that wouldn't make it stop working. I've never had an intermittent problem be a relay.

More often, intermittent problems are ground problems, or loose connections. Particularly when they slowly get worse over time.

I'd opt for inspecting the connections under the left pod cover and the left fairing connector - exercise all of the connections. Look for pins pushed out, corrosion, connectors not seated.

HOWEVER - i suspect that one that holds the key is under the air box. So if the left fairing and side pod connections are good, scare up some tools and pull the air box.

Tools:
Philips
Pliars
Either 3 or 4mm LONG hex key. BUT this is not your standard application as you need to reach about 8 to 12" under the air box and loosen clamps. The problem is you have to rach past a bunch of stuff that's in the way.

All of us should have something like this to get in there quick and easy. Although the Ball Socket ones would be even better for the odd angles you will encounter. 7 Piece 3/8" Drive Metric Long Reach Hex Bit Socket Set


7 Piece 3/8" Drive Metric Long Reach Hex Bit Socket Set, Long 5-1/8" hex shafts make it easier to reach out-of-the-way hex fasteners in automotive and machinery applications.

Don't hesitate to pull the connector from the gauge cluster and inspect it too, but I doubt its the root of evil. . .

DownrangeFuture said:

Look for loose connections and do the static check of the flashers at the RPMs you tested the voltage at first before buying anything. If it's the stock flasher, it should be a relay. A relay doesn't care what the top voltage is. As long as the voltage is over the activation voltage, it works (well and it isn't so high as to burn out the inductor). Basically, it's an electromagnet that pulls a "reed" switch closed. Higher voltage will make the magnet stronger so that wouldn't make it stop working. I've never had an intermittent problem be a relay.

More often, intermittent problems are ground problems, or loose connections. Particularly when they slowly get worse over time.

Click to expand...

I would agree if it were just a relay but remember these are flasher relays and they are load dependant. Pull in voltage is always going to be higher to close a relay. These flasher relays don't operate just as a relay they operate as a timer. The old mechanical relays used to use a bi-metal that opened the contacts intermittently depending on load/heat that was built and disappated. I've never opened an OEM but but I bet it's based on the same bi-metal concept and hence it's load dependency.

tick tok. . . . opcorn:

Is this unsolved or is there a proper ending?

pookamatic said:

They're probably working fine. You can't see them as you approach 3x10^8 m/s.

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671080888 miles per hour? does everything have a blue tint to it yet? if not, you arent going fast enough:thumbup:

equals 450–495 nm :BLAA: To hell will kelvin I want nano meters!